If you want to know how to use a VPN to watch ABC outside the US, you’re in the right place. This guide will teach you how to easily change your virtual location so that you can watch ABC Live Streams of Jimmy Kimmel Live and catch up on some of the most popular US TV shows including The Bachelor.
ABC geo-restricts its media content so that only US viewers can watch it. This doesn’t just stop you from watching content on its website and app from outside the US, but it also prevents non-US residents from creating an ABC account.
Fortunately, a VPN offers a simple way to overcome these ABC blocks. Outlined below is everything you need to know about gaining unlimited access to ABC from anywhere in the world with a VPN.
Living outside the US doesn’t need to stop you from watching ABC content whenever you want to. The first thing you need to do is download a VPN. For the best unblocking and streaming experience, we recommend getting a premium VPN from our list below.
Sign up for a subscription and set up the VPN software on your streaming devices. Most VPNs offer dedicated apps for various devices making it extremely easy to install the client.
After installation is complete, open up the app. We recommend first adjusting the settings for the best streaming experience. For example, switch to a fast tunneling protocol like WireGuard.
Once you’ve done this, connect to any US server. If possible, connect to the US server closest to your physical location or a server with low user loads. This will give you the best speeds possible for a great streaming connection.
When the VPN connection is active, head to the ABC website or app, and sign up for an account, or log in with your existing TV provider credentials. You should then be able to access a vast amount of content on the ABC catalog.
All of the VPNs below offer US-based servers, fast streaming speeds, and most importantly can unblock ABC. Read about each VPN before deciding which one is the best for you.
| Simultaneous connections / Users: | 6 |
|---|---|
| OS support: | Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Boxee Box, Chromecast, ChromeOS, FireOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Windows |
| Streaming: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouSee, DR TV, Disney+, Plex, Kodi, NBC, ESPN, BBC iPlayer, TV Player, HBO Go, HBO Max, Apple TV |
| Browser Extentions: | Firefox, Safari, Chrome |
Pros:
Fast connection
Zero-log policy
More than 5000 worldwide servers
Cons:
Few payment options
Split tunneling unavaible
6 Devices Maximum
Capabilities:
Unlimited Bandwidth
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Zero Data Logging
Free Version / Trial
Mobile App
Browser Extention
Netflix Approved
Firestick Compatible
NordVPN is an advanced streaming VPN that will enable unlimited access to ABC from anywhere in the world. It offers 1970+ servers across 15 US cities including New York and Miami. You can easily get a US IP address and overcome blocks on ABC within a couple of seconds.
NordVPN comes with a SmartDNS feature that will allow you to access your favorite ABC shows on your smart TV. To use SmartDNS with NordVPN, you’ll need to whitelist your IP address without a VPN connection. Then, activate the Smart DNS feature from your NordVPN account dashboard.
While NordVPN’s SmartDNS won’t offer VPN protection for your device, but it will overcome geo-restrictions on almost every streaming service. NordVPN’s SmartDNS feature supports a range of services, including ABC Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix.
A NordVPN subscription has 6 simultaneous connections. There are dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. You can also connect the VPN to streaming devices like Amazon Firestick TV.
Your ABC account might be banned if you’re caught using a VPN. Fortunately, that shouldn’t happen with NordVPN. Firstly, it uses obfuscation on its servers to hide VPN use from ABC so it can’t block you.
NordVPN has AES-256 bit encryption to hide your browsing data from your network provider and protect bandwidth throttling. Furthermore, it offers the NordLynx protocol for fast speeds when streaming ABC content live. Overall, NordVPN is a great option for ABC.
| Simultaneous connections / Users: | Unlimited |
|---|---|
| OS support: | Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, ChromeOS, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Streaming: | |
| Browser Extentions: |
Pros:
Unlimited simultaneous connections
Unblocks streaming services
Based in privacy-friendly country
Cons:
No phone support
No 12 month plan
Few payment methods
Capabilities:
Unlimited Bandwidth
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Zero Data Logging
Free Version / Trial
Mobile App
Browser Extention
Netflix Approved
Firestick Compatible
Another service that can help you unblock ABC from outside the US is Surfshark VPN. Surfshark has 3,200 VPN servers overall, and many servers in the US. You can connect to a US server by city via the Surfshark app so that you can choose the server closest to your location for fast speeds.
Surfshark comes with great streaming features such as fast tunneling protocols like WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. With fast protocols, you can enjoy a better streaming experience on ABC. Moreover, Surfshark has a Camouflage mode that hides VPN usage, making it harder for sites like ABC to detect your VPN.
Every Surfshark subscription offers unlimited simultaneous connections. This means you can stream ABC live on all of your devices at the same time if you want to. Surfshark is compatible with many systems, including streaming platforms like Apple TV and Android TV.
There is DNS leak protection on Surfshark servers and advanced encryption to hide your real IP address from sites like ABC. Furthermore, the privacy protection in place will hide your data activity from your network provider so that your connection isn’t throttled.
| Simultaneous connections / Users: | 5 |
|---|---|
| OS support: | Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, ChromeOS, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Streaming: | |
| Browser Extentions: |
Pros:
Free version
Fast server speeds
Unblocks Netflix
Cons:
Expensive paid plan
Based in USA (5 Eyes)
Only 5 simultaneous connections
Capabilities:
Unlimited Bandwidth
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Zero Data Logging
Free Version / Trial
Mobile App
Browser Extention
Netflix Approved
Firestick Compatible
Hotspot Shield boasts an impressive network of more than 3200 servers spread across 80 countries. There are VPN server locations in 27 US cities, meaning you have plenty of options when it comes to getting a US IP address and unblocking ABC.
While we recommend connecting to a VPN server that is closest to your actual location for the fastest connection speeds all of Hotspot Shield’s servers are optimized for a super-fast streaming experience. Moreover, you can adjust your settings to run your connection over the Catapult Hydra protocol, so you can watch your favorite ABC Live shows without lagging or buffering.
Hotspot Shield offers unlimited data, too, so you can watch as much ABC as you want to. Hotspot Shield will also help you overcome ISP speed throttling by masking your real IP address and online activity data.
There are dedicated apps for all of your favorite devices with Hotspot Shield, including macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. However, simultaneous connections are limited to just 5 per plan, which might not offer enough coverage for all your devices.
Finally, when it comes to online security and privacy, Hotspot Shield impresses with military-grade encryption. It also has a no-logs policy, so your use of the VPN for ABC won’t be stored anywhere.
| Simultaneous connections / Users: | 5 |
|---|---|
| OS support: | Android, ChromeOS, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Streaming: | |
| Browser Extentions: |
Pros:
Plenty of payment methods
24 hours live chat support
30 days money back guarantee
Cons:
More expensive than competitors
Only 5 simultaneous connections
No servers in Russia
Capabilities:
Unlimited Bandwidth
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Zero Data Logging
Free Version / Trial
Mobile App
Browser Extention
Netflix Approved
Firestick Compatible
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, and it will let you stream ABC online no matter where you are. It delivers an extensive network of more than 3,000 servers around the world, with servers in around 14 US cities. You’ll always be able to get a US IP to unblock ABC.
You don’t just have to use ExpressVPN for ABC. The VPN can unblock many other streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO, and YouTube. ExpressVPN also offers MediaStreamer, a DNS tool, which guarantees constant access to streaming platforms anywhere.
ExpressVPN offers dedicated apps for macOS, iOS, Android, and Windows. However, you can also use the VPN on Apple TV, Amazon Firestick TV, Android TV, and Roku.
Server speeds are excellent with ExpressVPN, even on long-distance connections, so you can stream ABC in high-definition. ExpressVPN offers the Lightway protocol, which is based on WireGuard and provides extremely fast speeds.
| Simultaneous connections / Users: | 5 |
|---|---|
| OS support: | Android, ChromeOS, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Streaming: | |
| Browser Extentions: |
Pros:
No log policy
Unlimited bandwith
Free version available
Cons:
No dedicated IPs
Limited features on free plan
Very few payment methods
Capabilities:
Unlimited Bandwidth
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Zero Data Logging
Free Version / Trial
Mobile App
Browser Extention
Netflix Approved
Firestick Compatible
ProtonVPN is not the largest VPN on the market, but it still offers a decent network of more than 1,200 servers spread across 55 countries around the world. It operates 372 US servers across 15 US cities and shows server loads so that users can connect to the best server for fast speeds.
While the free ProtonVPN plan comes with access to plenty of free US servers, these are not optimized for streaming. You may be able to unblock ABC on the free plan, but for guaranteed unblocking it is a good idea to upgrade to a Basic or Plus plan.
ProtonVPN offers dedicated apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. All of the apps are audited and open source, so you can rest assured that your data is safe while using them.
Your data will be safe when using ProtonVPN to stream ABC content. There is military-grade encryption and a host of other advanced security features like DNS filtering to protect you from malware, trackers, and ads. Moreover, ProtonVPN comes with a functional kill switch, to cut off your internet access if the VPN server ever goes down.
To get an ABC account and access unlimited content, you first need a VPN to ensure your location is set to the US. When you’ve connected to the VPN, head to the ABC website. There are a couple of ways to sign up.
The first way to access ABC is to use an existing TV provider account that you have. This can be with a number of TV providers such as Hulu, FuboTV, or YouTubeTV. This is an easy option since you only need to sign in with your credentials.
The second way to watch ABC content is to create an ABC account. You’ll need to enter some identifiable information like your name and email address, but your home country/region should already be assigned to the US.
After signing up, you’ll be able to enjoy ABC content without restrictions. Just make sure to always connect to a US VPN server before using the ABC service.
If you’ve connected to a US VPN server, visit the ABC site, and are met with a location error message, it can be incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix the issue if your VPN isn’t working with ABC.
If you meet this message above, don’t panic. The first thing to do is check your server connection is still active. It may have disconnected for whatever reason, so you may need to re-launch it. You can also switch to another US server and refresh the ABC site to see if this fixes the issue.
You should also check for DNS leaks. You can do this by using a DNS leak checker, which will show you if your VPN is exposing DNS leak requests. DNS requests can show your real IP address, which can reveal your real location to sites like ABC, which will then block you. Make sure you have DNS protection activated in the settings, and if your VPN doesn’t offer it, switch to a VPN provider from our list above!
Finally, clearing your browser or app data can improve the VPN’s functionality. You can do this in the browser or app settings so that the websites you visit have no trace of your previous activity. This means your real IP address shouldn’t be stored and potentially causing issues with the VPN.
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may intentionally slow your internet speed if it detects video streaming or other bandwidth-heavy activities like gaming. Fortunately, by connecting to a VPN when watching ABC, you can prevent this.
A VPN will hide your data and activities from your ISP. Therefore, as it will be unable to see that you are streaming ABC Live or a catch-up of a long TV show, you will be much less likely to be a target of throttling.
We all love to save money, which is why many of us look for a free VPN for ABC. However, finding a good free VPN that also can unblock sites and offer fast streaming speeds isn’t always easy.
Tuxler and Hola VPN are great VPNs for streaming. They don’t impose bandwidth limits when you watch ABC and both services offer access to many IP addresses in the US. However, these two VPNs don’t appear to prioritize security and privacy like other VPNs, so you might want to steer clear of them if internet safety is important to you.
ProtonVPN is a good option if you want unlimited bandwidth and access to many US servers. However, its free VPN service is touch and go when it comes to unblocking streaming services like ABC, but it is worth a try since it costs nothing to use.
Finally, PrivadoVPN and Hotspot Shield are good free VPN options if you want to watch ABC. These VPNs offer access to US servers but have bandwidth limits, which means you won’t be able to stream as much as you’d like to.
Hi, I'm Cliff. I'm based in Cleveland, Ohio, with my wife and two kids.
I have a keen interest in cybersecurity and have been writing about it for around a decade now. Due to my background in computer science, I am familiar ...
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